3 Flea Facts to Consider When You Visit Florida #Seresto

Vacationing in Florida with your dog?  From St. Augustine to Tampa and all the way down to Key West, there are so many dog-friendly places to visit.  Florida has a lot of dog-friendly parks, campgrounds, hotels, restaurants and beaches for you to enjoy with your dog.

The only bad thing:  the fleas are dog-friendly too!  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't vacation in Florida with your dog.  You just  need to remember your flea preventive and some basic information:

Florida Flea Season is Year-Round

Florida does not have the normal seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Fall.  No, we have Rainy Season, Hurricane Season, Snowbird Season (the timeframe when Northerners live here to avoid the cold weather), and Tourist Season.  Occasionally, we have Winter but that cold weather generally doesn't last more than two weeks. 

Florida's consistent warm temperatures and higher relative humidity make for the perfect breeding ground for fleas.  It is why our Flea Season is year round when other places up North are getting a break from the pesky critters.

Florida Provides Many  Means of Transportation for Fleas

No, the fleas aren't riding the rails or hopping in a cab to get around but that doesn't mean there aren't many ways for them to travel throughout Florida.  Sure, a flea-infested dog could've crossed that same path you're hiking on and now fleas are waiting to hitch their next ride on you!

But since the most common flea that infests dogs and cats is the Cat Flea, feral cats are a great way for fleas to get into your neighborhood or your yard.  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates the Florida feral cat population may be 6.3 to 9.6 million (Feral Cat Colonies in Florida, Pamela Jo Hatley).  And did you know, an investigation of the feral cat population in Florida found that 92.5% of them were infested with fleas?  

There are many other critters in Florida who like to roam and who can provide a great vehicle for flea travel as well.  The Cat Flea has also been found on the Florida Panther, skunks, raccoons, opossums and rodents.

Fleas are Everywhere in Florida

From Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve to the State Parks where I go camping and the dog parks and dog beaches so many go to, there are fleas.  Like I said, they have a super-highway network on which to travel that lead right to your neighborhood and/or yard.

So what is a Florida dog to do?  Aside from monthly visits from pest control and almost-obsessive cleaning of your home, you need to use flea preventive all year long. 

For the past few weeks, I have been testing the new Seresto collar.  You may remember it from my Flea Bite Allergy in Dogs post.  The Seresto collar achieves 100% efficacy against fleas within 2 days of treatment and maintains efficacy above 90% for over 7 months.  That's right...no missed monthly applications or doses for up to 8 months!

The Seresto collar has two active ingredients to kill fleas and ticks - imidacloprid and flumethrin.  The collar is designed to slowly and continuously release those ingredients in low concentrations.  

Since first putting on my Seresto collar, I have had less itching and my possible FAD (Flea Allergic Dermatitis) has started to heal.  I did take one bath since putting on my new collar, and I left the collar on since it is water-resistant, and it is still working.  I'm going to keep using the collar and I will let you know how long it lasted for me.

Do you live in an area where Flea Season is year round? 

Do you want to try the new Seresto collar to prevent fleas and ticks?  If so, there is a $20 rebate available on your Seresto collar purchase HERE.

This post is sponsored by Bayer/Seresto and the Pet Blogger Network.  I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the Seresto product, but Oz the Terrier only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.  Bayer/Seresto is not responsible for the content of this article.